The Big Bean Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know about Beans, Grains, Pulses and Legumes, Including Rice, Split Peas, Chickpeas, Couscous,

I picked this cookbook up at a used bookstore mostly because of the title and because it was incredibly cheap. I figured if it was no good I wouldn't be losing much. To my surprise this has been an excellent cookbook and has become one of my go to books. So far everything I have made has been incredibly tasty, easy to make and healthy. I am really impressed by the soup recipes. I also think the design of the book is excellent. The book has a very infomative introduction and the recipes are primarily on one full (big) page with great color pictures of the cooking process and the finished product. There are often nice tips about cooking or variations that go along with the recipes. I'm now a big fan of Nicola Graimes and plan to order more of her cookbooks.

This book is fantastic. As a vegetarian, I am delighted at with the plethora of recipes from a variety of cuisines.This book also includes many dishes for meat eaters. It begins by describing each bean and grain, quick ways of cooking them and their nutrition. The pictures are very descriptive and very tempting. I was surprised to see even a baking section- certainly makes me want to try out every new bean and grain I had never heard of before. I stuck to the recipe for wild rice salad and the outcome was simply superb. Even for a person not interested in cooking, the variety should dazzle a food lover.